Chief Executives Shanthi Gunesekera and Janaki Mahadevan, said:
“The Government’s announcement today to boost the quality of care for women and birthing people and babies lacks substance and any demonstrable commitment to tackle the underlying and systemic issues affecting maternity services today.
“We have seen time and again, report after report, highlighting maternity systems that are not working to centre women and birthing people’s voices or rights. Another example of this is the Government’s failure to set a target for decreasing the Black maternal mortality rate, which reflects a lack of understanding and willingness to ensure Black and Brown women and birthing people do not face discrimination in their pregnancy journey.
“The Government’s top-down approach does not take into consideration how rights-respecting care must be delivered. For us to see true change in the maternity system, we need sufficient investment in maternity care that reflects the reality of healthcare professionals on the frontline and a clear demonstration that the voices of women and birthing people are central to the shaping of services, so person-centred care is at the heart of the maternity system.”